Mercurial barometer



June 14 1927 P. E. KLoPsTEG ET l- MERCURIAL BAROMETER Filed Deo. l', 1922 Paal 7A/Za M i w 4R0l ture.

Patented June i 14, 1927.

UNITED STATES? ,Y n, '1,632,084' PATENT OFFICE.

PAUL E'. KLOPSTEG ANDIIERMANy PAUL SACHSE, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, .ASSIGNORS C To CENTRAL SCIENTIFIC COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OE I' ILLINOIS. I

Application led December .'Itfhas heretofore been proposed topro-Y vide mercurial barometers 'with cisterns so mounted that the combined capacity V of thev tubular columnsY and the cisterns could be reduced to the approximate volume of the mercury contained When the instrumonts Were'to be Stored or shipped, but no `means Were provided Whererigid cisterns were used to permitthe mercury to expand Without breaking the instruments. Consequently a rise in temperature became aserious menaceand made the storage or ship-v ment of barometers both hazardous anden` pensive.

The principal object of this invention 1s to provide a yielding cushion that Will per-1VV tion; f p i l. y

Fig. 2 1s a side `elevation Ofsuch aba'-v rometer; I

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectionv taken on the l.line 3 3 of Fig. 1; and

. Fig. 4 1s ay view-similar to Eig. s illustra! ingamodified form. i V

a tubeor column 1Q and a cistern 11 suitably connected by some sort of supporting struc- As illustrated'the lower end Aof the column is constricted adjacent to the terminal Openingand justabovethe column is reduced in a plurality of places as indicated at 12 and 13. A collar 14 having a rough-p` ened interior 15 surrounds these reduced portions and suitable cement 16 is laid between Y l' the 'collar and the column and secures them.y

together.A The f reduced portionsV of. 'the column serve to give the cement Va grip and i. Y the column.

tion to conform tothe shape of the enclos'j n The type of barometer selected forv illus-i tratingthe inventionconsis'ts principally of also to damp 'oscillations of the mercuryfin i upwardly 'l extending MERCURIAL BAROMETER.

1, '1922.V serial No. 604,219.'

ing housing y18 which' is secured theretoby screws 19 or the like fastening devices. The

upper end of the housing receives `a cap 20, alsowsecured` 'thereto `by. `screws such` as 21, andrthis cap is equipped witha swiveledeye 22 or-the liketo permit thebarometerto be conveniently suspended from. an .overhead support. is heldin place Withinthe .housing by a spacerp23iof cork or the like Which surrounds the column and litsclosely Within the housing.

" In the preferredV constructionf the lovver portion of the collar takes the form of -an annular flange 24 surrounding a rusto- 70 conical` portion 25. `The interior of the flange :24 1s threaded to receive corresponding threads onthe transparent cistern 11.

The upper end of the column'l() Betweenthe flange 24` and the portion 25 i Ais an annular shoulder`26 against which a gasket-27 of felt Orthelike carried by the upper end of the cistern can be "pressed to seal the cistern against the escape of mercury `or theV ingress of air. j The screw threads between the collar'and the cistern may be made sufficiently loose toadmit the .air neededto force the Vmercury up inthe column, but We prefer to lprovide the flange d will permit freecom'munication with theatmosphere when the ciste'rn is in lowered -po.

24 Withone or more grooves'or Slots 28,V that sition. The frusto-conical portion 25 is equipped Withlan ivory'point 29 Which indicates the position. of the lower level for the" mercury.-

VVl-iengitV is desired to store or the barometer; the cistern 11 is Screwedfupvvarde ly until thel gasket 27 is clamped against the' shoulder 26 and the space Within thecistern and the column sealedtightly. The knurled flange .or the like 30 at the lower portion of the cistern will Vensureproper gripping in this Operation. If a little excess mercury is in the cistern when it is started on its up-` Ward movement zii-corresponding amount Vof mercury Will'be forced out through.V theV grooves or Slots 28 as the parts assume their closed positionand this will ensure the elimination'of air that might-otherwise Vfind its way into .the column during the storage or In Order to 'permit theenclosed Or con-i Shipment of the instrument.

fined mercury to expand upon a rise in temperature, one or morey air pocketsl'l are'.

provided preferably in the truste-conical portion 'S35 or the collar 11i. Assliown 1n F l and 3, a somewhat annular recess 32 is made in the end of the collar, While in Fig. 4t one or more recesses 33 are used. The form of recess or pocket is largely immaterial, but preferably it is of .such small area that the mercury will trap the air contained and prevent it from working out o" the pocket and into the tube l0 Without making` it liuafessary to use any other closure. By using a narrow annularrrecess such as 32 the capillary action will cause the mercury to close the pocket so :tar as any escape of air is concerned and still the Iexpansion of the mercury Will be relieved by a compression of the contained air. Like results will i follow the useof a recess or a plurality of recesses such as shown at 33. Those skilled in the art Will readily arrange and construct the cushion either in a wall of the inclosure or as an independent unit placed in theenclosure so as to permit the expansion made necessary by the circumstances of commerce.

The col'lar let is `preferably made of bakelite or similar material,v andthe cistern is made o'f glass, Celluloid or other transparent and moldable .n'iaterial` This permits these parts to be made by castingVwhich reduces the cost of .n'ianufacture very `greatly. The cistern canA be `made sufliciently heavy to stand all the strains of use and at the same time permit the entire lower portion of' the instrument to be visible from all angles.

le claim as our invention:

l. In a mercurial barometer the' combination of a column open at one end, a collar fixed to the column adjacent to the open end and lmving an air pocket therein,` and acistern 'threadedly engaged with the collar and communieating` with the column and the air pocket. v v

2. In a mercurial barometer' the combination of a column open at one end and having a constricted portion adjacent thereto, a collar having a. roughened interior and surrounding said column, cement securing Said collar to said column, said collar having an air pocket therein, and a cistern coininunicating with said column and air pocket and thread-edly engaged with said collar.

3. A mercurial barometer' comprising' a barometer tube, a mounting therefor, a mercury eister-n, said cistern being Vadjustable relative to the mounting and tube to force out the airy normally resting on top of the mercury in the cistern, thus forming a solid continuous filling of mercury for ythe Space in both eistern and tube, there being cushioningmeans provided in said space to allow expansion ot the mercury otherwise filling said space.

4t. A mercurial barometer comprising a mounting, a mercury cistern adjustable in the mounting, a barometer tube iiXed in the mounting with its open end constantly below the top surface of the mercury in vthe eistern but continuously kept open in all the adjustments of the cistern relative to the mounting, the cistern being adjustable in the mounting to a position Where the air normally resting on the top oit` the mercury in the `cistern may be forced from the cistern, thus forming a continuous filling of' mercury for the space in both the barometer tube and cistern, there being provided lcushioning means in said cistern to allow for temperature enpansion'otl the mercuryotlierWise filling-'said space. v

5. In a niercurial barometer the combination ot ammounting, a cistern adjustable therein, a barometer tube fixed to. the mounting` with its open end located to be kept open to all adjustments of the eistern, the cistern beingr adjustable to; expel the `air normally resting on the surface o'l the mercury, thus forming a solid continuous .illingof mercury for the space in both the cistern and tubo, there beingr provided in said space and air pocket With a capillary opening thereinto to alloW for temporary expansion of the mercury in said space.

PAUL E. KLOPSTEG. HERMAN PAUL SACHSE. 

